Tour de France braced for historic stage cancellations amid 44C European heatwave

The 2026 Tour de France, set to begin in Barcelona on Saturday, is facing potential historic stage cancellations due to an extreme European heatwave predicted to reach 44°C in the coming days. Tour technical director Thierry Gouvenou acknowledged the threat, stating 'It's something that's very much on our mind,' and noted the situation is worsened by extreme weather already experienced in May and June. Organisers are bracing for climate change-related disruption that could force unprecedented changes to the race schedule.